The Earth moves
Subtitle: Galileo and the Roman Inquisition
By: Dan Hofstadter.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Great discoveries
Publisher: W.W. Norton
Published: 2009
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 240
ISBN-13: 9780393066500
Subjects: Galilei, Galileo, -- 1564-1642 -- Trials, litigation, etc; Catholic Church -- Doctrines -- History -- 17th century; Catholic Church -- Italy -- History -- 17th century; Inquisition -- Italy -- Rome; Astronomy -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- 17th century; Science, Renaissance
Description: Galileo Galilei is a seminal figure in the history of science. His 1633 trial before the Holy Office of the Inquisition is the prime drama in the history of the conflict between science and religion. In Galileo's day, Rome was the capital of a sovereign theocratic power, which in 1600 had executed Giordano Bruno on similar charges and reserved the right to torture Galileo. Galileo was then sixty-nine years old and the most venerated scientist in Italy. Although subscribing to an anti-literalist view of the Bible, as per Saint Augustine, Galileo considered himself a believing Catholic. Playing to his own strengths--a deep knowledge of Italy, a longstanding interest in Renaissance and Baroque lore--Dan Hofstadter explains apparent paradoxes and limns this historic moment in the widest cultural context, portraying Galileo as both humanist and scientist.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.